This American Heart Month, learn the warning signs of a heart attack to improve your chances of surviving one. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers the following guidance.

Heart Attacks Are Not All the Same

Some heart attacks are sudden, while others develop slowly. Your pain and other signs may go away and come back, and you may not be sure you are having a heart attack.

No matter your doubts – don’t wait! Get checked out immediately. Don’t drive yourself to the hospital. Call 911. An ambulance is the best and safest way to get there because emergency medical services workers can start lifesaving treatments right away.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Sometimes, coronary heart disease has no symptoms until you experience a heart attack or other complication. That’s why preventing heart disease is so important.

A heart attack may cause the following symptoms:

• Chest pain caused by the heart can feel like pressure, squeezing, tightness or burning. This pain is sometimes related to physical activity. The pain or discomfort can also spread to your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.
• Cold sweats.
• Dizziness.
• Light-headedness.
• Nausea or a feeling of indigestion.
• Neck pain.
• Shortness of breath, especially with activity.
• Weakness.

Heart Attack Symptoms for Women

Women are less likely than men to experience chest pain with a heart attack. Instead, they are more likely to experience:

• Dizziness.
• Extreme tiredness.
• Nausea.
• Pressure or tightness in the chest.
• Stomach pain.

Symptoms may appear and go away. Symptoms may get worse as plaque buildup continues to narrow the coronary arteries. Chest pain or discomfort that does not go away or occurs while you are resting might be a sign of a heart attack.

For more information, visit the National Institute of Health’s heart facts website at hearttruth.gov.

Source: The National Institutes of Health